MASAHIRO SASAKI Q&A
I am a hairdresser working at my own hair salon (for women), from 9 to 5. My customers are women. My wife is also working with me.
Paper cranes sent to my hair salon are displayed in our salon, and then our customers tell us they look beautiful, or sometimes new customers even ask us “why is your salon decorated with so many paper cranes?” I take advantage of such an opportunity to start talking about Sadako so that I can always remember my sister Sadako, and also feel happy to talk about the importance of peace (together with the tragedy of war) to those people.
When I talk to children, I remember our childhood, war, and how miserable our life was during/after the war. At the same time, I can strongly realize how happy I am now, I can appreciate my life (that I am living now on behalf of Sadako). Listeners also encourage me saying “Please stay in good health, and continue to give us lectures like now for many years to come”.
I hope children will be able to think about the reasons why in the world, there are always wars, conflicts, fightings, terrorism, etc. I hope they can find the answers to the issue, why people do such things. I hope children will grow up thoughtful (like Sadako) and global so that they can appreciate any differences in nationality, culture, religion, etc.
I have never faced any challenges. When I talk to people about Sadako, if I could feel that my heart and the hearts of those people are connected, I can feel as if Sadako is standing by me. That is my happiest moment.
When I talk to children, I remember my childhood, the war, and how miserable our lives were during and after the war. Remembering those times makes me realize how happy I am now. I can appreciate my life, and know that I am living now on behalf of Sadako as well. Listeners also encourage me by saying “Please stay in good health, and continue to give us lectures like now for many years to come.”
I hope children will be able to think about the reasons why there are always wars, conflicts, fightings, terrorism, etc. in the world. I hope they can find the answers to why people do such things. I hope children will grow up thoughtful (like Sadako) and global so that they can appreciate and respect any differences in nationality, culture, religion, etc.
Moreover, for children who will be responsible for the future, we (my Sadako Legacy Organization) are donating paper cranes as a symbol to overcome differences in order to pursue how we people should be.
The essence of the mind that acknowledges the difference is the mind of Omoiyari, which means you are attentive and thoughtful towards others. The important thing is to let the world know is that we are always striving for peace and continue to encourage others to look for ways to make the world a more peaceful place.
In the case of the 911 Memorial, the first inquiries came from them. In the beginning, the 911Committee asked the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum about the meaning of paper cranes (this was because paper cranes were hung at the fence of the 911 site by a visitor, and the stakeholders at the 911 Committee did not know the meaning of paper cranes. The Museum explained about Sadako, and the people on the 911 Committee were moved by her story, They asked the Museum to send photos of Sadako to display with those paper cranes, The Museum then made a request to the Sasaki family to communicate with the 911 Committee directly.
We share the same term Ground Zero, used for atomic bombings and also for 911.
The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to ban all of the two nations’ land-based ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc.
We people live in such places, and we must obey our leaders regardless of our preference for the policy. For example, there are liberal democratic countries and communist countries, so this means there is no policy that can accept both. There are also significant differences in human rights issues and some prioritize the interests of the country over human rights.
I think people are intelligent mammals that follow stronger people, follow the existing system, and fight for the cause of justice.
Other animals follow natural bonds! But people use knowledge to destroy nature. I think we should become more humble about nature. I think that the return of nature is going to be overwhelming, and one day our disregard of nature will come back at us!
We have to read the background why some countries have become more belligerent. There must be people who want to get benefit from it, so you must see their connections. If young people are calm, if the people who will lead the next generation speak up, if they keep their minds connected, we adults will notice. Let’s start connecting by changing the hand holding the gun to the hand holding the pencil!
I think it is very important and essential.
That is because Sadako’s story and paper cranes as a symbol of peace are recognized all over the world. Paper cranes are a messenger of peace, e.g. respecting human rights, protecting each life, opposing all discrimination, etc. I would like to introduce to as many more people as possible that folding a paper crane is an act that connects the heart and overcomes our differences.
A person who has lived happily without doubting that it would last forever, but suddenly encounters suffering or misfortune will benefit from reading this book.
Our father told Sadako that your dream will come true if you make a thousand paper cranes.
I think Sadako was a child that God entrusted to the Sasaki family. I think that the life of Sadako did not end in vain because she demonstrated to us how to live strongly while enduring all the hardships she had to carry.
Now paper cranes became known throughout the world as a symbol of peace (thanks to Sadako), but traditionally cranes are a symbol of longevity. After learning that if you make a thousand paper cranes your dream would come true, I think Sadako felt making cranes was the only way to give her peace of mind. Sadako suffered a lot, she had intense pain and fatigue, and if making cranes helped Sadako not to feel very lonely while doing so, I feel very happy.
Basically, there is no rule to which country or place we should donate Sadako’s crane. For example, there was once a war, and Japan and the United States battled in the past. There are still differences in thinking about past wars. So now, as a symbol of mutual understanding (and respect) of such different ways of thinking, so far, places related to the past wars were selected and a Sadako’s paper crane was donated.
After Sadako’s death, she became popular through news. Some of those who could not understand the pain of Sadako envied, and took such actions, I think. My parents left Hiroshima because they wanted to protect the family and keep their hearts peaceful.
On May 5, 1958, the statue of Genbaku-no-ko-no-zoh was erected and paper cranes were dedicated to it. Since then, it became well known.